Thyroid Medication

[scrapbooking]

I have bee on medication for hypothyroidism for many years. I take Levothyoxine. Recently I was diagnosed with borderline osteoporosis. I take vitamin D3, but would like to take D3K2 to help with the osteoporisis, but wanted to make sure it would not negate or adversely effect my thyroid medicine.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Many of us take K2, it's an important cofactor of D3 (as is magnesium). As long as you take your D3 (and magnesium) four hours away from your Levo, there's no problem. And of course, leave 2 hours between Levo and any other medication/supplements so absorption is not affected.

[scrapbooking in reply to SeasideSusie]

I actuallly have been taking my thyroid medicine with other supplements like curcumin and vitamin D probably 2-3 years and have not had any adverse affects from it that I know of. I have blood test twice a year.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to scrapbooking]

It's not necessarily adverse effects but interfering with absorption of Levo that the time gap is recommended. Your Levo dose could possibly be lower if you took it away from supplements.

Here are a couple of articles discussing this

walgreens.com/topic/faq/que...

livestrong.com/article/4978...

[scrapbooking in reply to SeasideSusie]

Ok. Thanks, I will check out the articles. What about food intake close to taking thyroid medicine.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to scrapbooking]

Levo should be taken on an empty stomach, one hour before or two hours after food, with a glass of water only, no tea, coffee, milk, etc, and water only for an hour either side, as absorption will be affected. I think some patient information leaflets say half an hour before food, but patient to patient advice given here is one hour.

[scrapbooking in reply to SeasideSusie]

So helpful. Thank you. I still work full time and it is so convenient for me to take all my supplements with my (two) medicines I take every morning. I will need to figure out how I can do this. I also drink a cup of coffee right after I take my medicine. I didn't realize I was doing anything wrong. My prescription is 0.125MG, so I guess i could be taking less if I was careful about how I take my levothyroxine.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to scrapbooking]

To avoid timing problems, some people take their thyroid meds at bedtime and have even found they feel better for this. Personally, as I need a bathroom trip during the early hours of the morning, I always take mine then, between 3-6am usually and that keeps it away from everything.

[Nanaedake]

If someone is diagnosed with low bone density they may choose to take bisphosphonates in preference to painful bone fractures. It's tough being between a rock and a hard place and people have to balance risks versus benefits.

At this moment in time vitamins are not proven to prevent bone fractures and there are many factors that can predispose to osteoporosis including genetics. If someone is prescribed bisphosphonates they will be prescribed calcium and vitamin D3 too as it's necessary to work in conjunction.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Nanaedake]

Bisphosphonates cause dense brittle bones, which means that if you do have a fall you are more likely to have a very serious fracture. They can also cause necrosis of the jaw. Low T3 can mean that new bone does not grow properly (as T3 stimulates osteoblasts).